Time ticket definition
/What is a Time Ticket?
A time ticket is a document used by an employee to record hours worked. The purpose of a time ticket is to accumulate the hours that an employee will be paid in the next payroll. Once a pay period has ended, they are used by the payroll staff to compile hours worked, which is the basis for the calculation of gross pay.
A common format for a time ticket is for it to be printed in an oblong heavy paper format, which is then inserted into a time clock when an employee clocks in or clocks out. The time clock stamps the current date and time on the ticket.
Once a payroll has been completed, the related time tickets are archived for several years, depending on the applicable payroll regulations. Once the legal retention period has ended, time tickets are authorized for destruction and removed from the archives.
Time Ticket Controls
There are several controls associated with time tickets, which are as follows:
Supervisory review. A supervisor reviews each time ticket at the end of a payroll period to see if the hours charged are accurate, and initials them to indicate his or her approval.
Passive oversight. A webcam can monitor who is accessing time tickets, to see if anyone is buddy punching them. Under buddy punching, someone who is not the person to which a time ticket is assigned clocks the person in and/or out, so that the person is paid despite being absent from work.
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Problems with Time Tickets
A significant problem with time tickets is that fellow employees can engage in buddy punching, which occurs when an employee clocks other employees in and out, even though they are not really on the premises. This issue can be eliminated by switching to biometric electronic time clocks.
Replacement of Time Tickets
Time tickets are less common now, since many companies have moved to electronic timekeeping systems that allow for the entry of hours worked from smart phones, computer workstations, and electronic clocks that accept employee swipe cards. These are more mobile solutions, since no time clock is required. Also, these systems can electronically forward time information to the payroll department for further processing.
Terms Similar to Time Ticket
A time ticket is also known as a time card.